The next best thing to a Cannoli is a Kolace - let's make some

One of the advantages to living in a multi-ethnic neighborhood was all the different kinds of foods and we decided early on, the next best thing to a cannoli was a koláče. The older Czechs would tease us with "You don't have Koláče without working for them" which is the Czech way of saying "You don't have a good life without working for it."

Koláče Dough Recipe

Ingredients:

6 Cups of Flour

1 Cup of Milk (Warmed)

¼ Cup of Oil

2 Tbs. of Butter

½ Cup of Sugar

1 Tsp. of Salt

2 Pkg. Yeast

2/3 Cups of Warm Water

2 Eggs

¼ Cup of Lemon Rind

1/8 Tsp. of Mace

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, soften yeast in 2/3 cups of warm water and allow to froth (about 15 minutes).

Spoon out dough onto a floured bread board or a clean, flat, floured counter surface. Roll dough into small balls about two to three inches in diameter. Flatten dough ball and form into a two to three inch square shape.

Add a spoonful of desired filling to the center of the dough square, and then close dough over filling by pulling up the four corners of the square to meet in the center. Close the dough so that filling is almost completely enclosed in the dough (leave only a small slit for filling to peek through the top of the dough, if desired.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While oven is pre-heating, allow filled dough to rise until doubled in size.

Bake on a greased baking pan at 350 degrees for twenty-five minutes.

Remove from oven, cool on a baker's rack. Serve warm or when completely cooled, and enjoy!

This recipe makes 4 to 5 dozen Koláčky.

The following recipes are for traditional fillings to help make your Koláče rich with old-world flavor but you can be creative and use your imagination.

Koláče Prune Filling

Ingredients:

1 Pkg. of Pit-less Dried Prunes (1 lb.)

1 Cup of Brown Sugar

½ Tsp. of Lemon Rind

Preparation:

In a medium-sized sauce pan, add fruit and enough water to cover fruit. Simmer on a medium heat until the fruit is tender.

Remove from heat. Drain prunes, reserving juice in a mixing bowl.

Use a meat grinder or food processor to mash prunes. Add sugar and lemon rinds to prune mash. If the mash is too thick, use a little of the reserved prune juice to thin.